27.6.12

JUDD TRUMPS DALE

Judd
Trump has enjoyed himself since exiting the World Championship in a
disappointing fashion, losing 13-12 from 12-9 up to Ali Carter.

Trump
has holidayed in Las Vegas and Dubai, spending some of the money he won during
a busy and productive season.

And
he should take time to have fun. The worst thing he could have done was got
back on the practice table a week or so after losing to Carter. The defeat
would have been fresh in his mind.

He
needed to get away from the snooker table.

Well,
now he’s back and against Dominic Dale in the Wuxi Classic today was superb.
Back-to-back centuries followed by a 75 clearance launched by an audacious long
red made it 3-1 and he didn’t take long to wrap things up after the interval.

Trump
starts the new season second in the world rankings. Mark Selby’s consistency is
such that he will be hard to overhaul at the top of the list but it’s a long
campaign with many titles to contest.

The
biblical parable of Samson losing his hair and thus his power did not apply for
Trump.

He may be shorn of a
few locks but he avoided becoming another seeded scalp.